The Premier League has issued a statement following a contentious penalty awarded during Liverpool’s match against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Arne Slot’s team entered the game leading the league but faced a strong Bournemouth side that had just secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest the previous weekend.
The match began at a high tempo, with both teams evenly matched until the 27th minute when Cody Gakpo was deemed to have been fouled by Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook.
Both players were sprinting toward a bouncing ball when Gakpo, 25, went down after contact from Cook, 27. However, replays suggested that the Dutch forward may have made more contact with his own leg rather than the Bournemouth defender.
Despite protests from Bournemouth’s players and fans, the penalty was awarded, and Mohamed Salah converted it to give Liverpool the lead.
Shortly after, the Premier League addressed the decision on their Match Centre X account, stating:
“The referee’s decision to award a penalty was reviewed and upheld by VAR, which determined that Cook’s challenge on Gakpo constituted a trip. VAR also confirmed Gakpo was onside in the build-up.”
Fans on social media quickly reacted, with many expressing disbelief.
One fan wrote: “Unbelievable decision.”
Another commented: “Gakpo took himself down to win Liverpool a penalty.”
A third added: “Are the officials wearing Liverpool shirts under their kits? That was never a penalty.”
Others questioned the role of VAR, with one saying: “What’s the point of VAR if they can’t slow it down and see that Gakpo tripped himself?”
Another fan was stunned: “How on Earth is that a penalty? Wow.”
One user criticized the officiating: “If referees are going to make calls like this for Liverpool, they might as well hand them the title now.”
Some suggested a different perspective might justify the decision: “We need to see a better angle because from this one, it looks like Gakpo tripped himself. Bournemouth players didn’t protest much, so maybe another angle shows it was actually a foul.”
As things stand, Liverpool are set to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.